


always thought i'd be hard to love ('til you made it seem so easy)

by a_popcorn_kernel



Series: poppy's playlist [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Insecure Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Reveal, Songfic, Supportive Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23442064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_popcorn_kernel/pseuds/a_popcorn_kernel
Summary: Marinette was anything but confident. (That particular job had fallen to Ladybug.) But behind the mask, she was just Marinette. Plain, old Marinette.Then Chat Noir had fallen into her life, and her world was filled with compliments, with flattery.With love, unconditional and unyielding.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: poppy's playlist [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1686544
Comments: 11
Kudos: 105





	always thought i'd be hard to love ('til you made it seem so easy)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DawnWave](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnWave/gifts).



> happy birthday, DawnWave! :))
> 
> song: easy by camila cabello

Marinette was anything but confident. (That particular job had fallen to Ladybug.) But behind the mask, she was just Marinette. Plain, old Marinette. 

She didn't have anything special. She wasn't rich. She didn't have amazing fencing ability. She wasn't super smart. She was just normal. Ordinary. Average.

Then Chat Noir had fallen into her life, and her world was filled with compliments, with flattery. With love, unconditional and unyielding. _More than she would ever get from Adrien_ , she had mused sadly.

When she had figured out that they were the exact same person, she had panicked. Chat Noir was the shining, beautiful, perfect Adrien Agreste. And who was she? Just a baker's daughter who occasionally masqueraded as a superhero, hiding her imperfection and flaws behind the veneer of her earrings' magic.

Eventually, she had to tell Chat that she had found out his identity. 

* * *

"Ladybug, what's the problem?" Chat—no, Adrien—asked gently. She had called him to meet at the Eiffel Tower to "discuss something urgent".

Marinette exhaled, mustering up all her measly confidence. "Chat...I…"

"I discovered your identity."

Adrien's emerald eyes (how had she not seen the similarities?) shot wide open. "What?"

She hung her head. "I saw your kwami in your alter ego's bag." She looked up. "I'm sorry."

She dearly hoped he wouldn't ask her to reveal her identity. She wasn't prepared to let down his expectations of Ladybug yet.

Chat—Adrien rushed to assure her. "No, no, my Lady! It's fine. Really."

She had to offer, even if she didn't want to. He was her partner, the yin to her yang. He deserved a say. "Do you...do you want me to reveal my identity too?"

He brightened, then hesitated, noticing something wrong. His Lady's eyes were downcast, almost as if she didn't want to reveal hers. "My Lady... it's your choice. If you don't want to, that's fine."

His bugaboo smiled with relief. _Thank God_ , she thought. "Thank you, _mon chaton_."

He tilted his head, curious but unsure if he should invade her privacy. "LB, if you don't mind me asking… why don't you want to reveal your identity? You don't have to answer if you don't want to—" Ladybug put a finger to his lips, cracking a smile.

"It's okay, _chaton_. I might as well tell you," she said. Her tone developed a touch of vulnerability. "Promise you won't make fun of me?" she asked in a small voice. 

He smiled down warmly at her, warm like the sunlight trapped in his golden locks. "Of course, my Lady."

She took a deep breath and started. "Chat, as Ladybug, I'm unyielding, fierce, confident, and perfect. Paris praises me, children practically worship me. But when you take off the mask? I'm just… me. I'm just an ordinary girl, with an ordinary life. I have flaws, imperfections, weaknesses, but I just—" Her voice cracked before she could get it out, eyes welling up with tears. 

Before she knew what even happened, she found herself wrapped in leatherbound arms. A small "eep!" barely escaped from her lips. 

Adrien tucked her head under his, rubbing her back soothingly. "You just don't want to let their expectations down?" he asked softly. 

She sniffled. "Yeah…" 

His heart clenched, seeing his Lady in anguish. He hugged her even tighter. "My Lady. I know how it feels, having to live up to this perfect image of you. But no one's perfect, least of all you, Ladybug. And that's why I love you," he finished, with affection in his voice.

She scrunched her eyebrows together, her tears slowly coming to a halt. "You love me because… because I'm not perfect?"

He smiled. "Your imperfections highlight your beauty even more, my Lady."

She blushed, pink blooming underneath the wet streaks left behind by her crying. "Th-thanks, Chat. Adrien."

He, in return, tightened his grip on her for a second, then let go. "I'll always be here for you, Ladybug. And don't forget, you are perfectly imperfect, just the way you are. _Don't forget that they're why I love you._ " 

She smiled again, the widest she's smiled in a long time. "Thank you, _mon chaton_. And..." She blushed again. 

_"I love you, too."_

* * *

The day she finally reveals her true self, she does so knowing that she is imperfect. Knowing that she is just plain, old Marinette. 

She reveals herself knowing that Chat Noir, Adrien, will always love her.

_No matter what._

  


**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in an hour, leave your complaints down below 😂
> 
> I'm serious, though. If I made any mistakes please point it out :))
> 
> Comments? Dramatic reactions? I'd be happy to hear them all! Y'all's comments are my daily validation. :D
> 
> [ Join the amazing Miraculous Fanworks Discord here! ](https://discord.gg/598A4SS)
> 
> i'm on tumblr at [a-popcorn-kernel](https://a-popcorn-kernel.tumblr.com)!


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